Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: February 15, 2022
Source: ALC via Brilliance Audio
Summary:
A return from the past knocks a family dangerously off-balance in a novel of spiraling suspense by Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent.
Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have the life they dreamed of: a coastal home, a promising future, and a growing family. That dream ends with a late-night knock on the door.
Weak, broken, and emaciated, it’s Luca’s first wife, Lydia. Missing for ten years, presumed dead, and very much alive, she has quite a story. Her kidnapping. A torturous confinement that should’ve ended with her dead. And finally, escape. Racked with guilt over the beautiful life they’ve built, Merritt and Luca agree to help get Lydia back on her feet – it’s the least they can do.
But the more enmeshed Lydia becomes in Merritt’s family, the more questions Merritt has. What is it about Lydia that’s especially unnerving? Why hasn’t she gone to the police with her harrowing tale? What does she really want of them? The answers, when they come, are terrifying.
Because Lydia isn’t the only one with secrets.
My thoughts:
This is the third book I’ve listened to by Minka Kent and she has proven to be a master of the crazy twists! I just love her books and will be adding the rest of her books to my tbr ASAP!
There is just something about this author’s writing that just grabs me right away and I found that again with this book. I loved that there isn’t a lot of build-up before we are right into the mix of things. I also loved that you get that sense that something isn’t quite right…but boy did I not see it going in the direction it went. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is a book where there are secrets upon secrets and it makes for a suspenseful, tense read.
There isn’t a lot I can really say about the plot itself without giving dipping into spoiler territory, so I all I will say is that this book kept me engaged and captivated from the get-go and I loved that while I did have my suspicions about a few things, I never saw things playing out the way they ultimately did. Having the story told from both Lydia and Merritt’s point of view allows us to get inside their head, while at the same time we are still left wondering if we can trust them.
While the premise of the missing woman has been done before, believe me when I say, this one is not the same. It’s a unique and thrilling and sure to keep you hooked from start to finish. Plus, who doesn’t love a fast-paced, binge-worthy read?
Audio thoughts:
I find that Minka Kent’s books lend themselves quite naturally to audio and this one was no exception. There were two narrators for this one, Carly Robins and Jane Oppenheimer, and I thought they both did a great job with their respective parts. Their pacing and intonation were spot on and I found myself completely engaged with the story, so much so that I ended up listening to it in one afternoon!
